Session: Thrilling Young Adults: How to Keep the Attention of Today's Readers standing (or sitting) room only Shifting perspectives: now Outsiders is considered "clean" and appropriate for 5th graders, says Amy Alessio, from Schuamberg James Owen Imaginarium Geographica series, John Green, Carol Plum Ucci, esp. Night my Sister Went Missing, Vampire Kisses, and Carolyn Mackler Alessio's faves Haddix likes Dairy Queen, Unwind, The Graceling, Hunger Games Deborah Noyse Washak, author, anthologist, and editor for Candlewick: drawn to Australian authors, sensibility parallels ours. Wayshak likes Graphic novels and genre-bending authors Kelly Link, Margo Mannagan, David Almond, Neil Gaiman Haddix writes what she thinks is thrilling. We are going in 2 directions 1. extreme danger/survival/jeopardy and 2. fabulous lives & wealth Jones says kids are looking for "really good mirrors" of their lives and relevance "because it was so real" real NOT realistic Jones says YA lit must be engaging from the get-go. The prophetic "first kiss" of that relationship. Praises Gail Giles Wayshak says narrative voice must ring true, not necessarily first person -- teen concern w identity often leads to first person Jones: Harry Potter and Twilight characters have an emotional connection for teen readers (he believes, not having read either) Patrick Jones heard at library from patron "I only read vampire books" so he wrote one, out next fall Has the pace of teen lit changed? from Sweet Valley High to It Girls, Nancy Drew to Anthony Horowitz Jones: counting the number of pages and chapters -- James Patterson phenomenon. Loves R.L. Stine -- no description, action only Pacing of books like Crank, 500 pages but readable in a day because of the format, expectation of thrills almost per page Haddix told "kids will not read books longer than 200 pages," twelve years ago, but that limitation broken by HP and Twilight Industry self-fulfilling prophecy against short story, but Wayshak said that there is promise now as attentions spans shrink Why fantasy appeals -- from adult lit first, Laurel King Hamilton, Crichton, Anne McCaffery (to Paolini), graphic novels Fantasy has good storytelling but escapist (Haddix) important since pressure for today's teens in ordinary life is intense Wayshak "all teens are shapeshifters" looking for identity, questions are answered, not threatening but humorous, thrilling The chick lit pheom -- Louise Rennison to Gossip Girl, more "cozy" lit and small-town detectives, says Alessio, a trend Jones works with kids in criminal detention, so urban lit -- Drama High and Kimani Tru, Coe Booth -- is a trend he watches It is a difficult time to be a purist, says Wayshak, since genres are combining and rejuvenating YA lit for our world citizens Haddix: kids have capacity to change and grow in a short time period, quest for identity fascinating to write about Jones: "everything important" happens in the 4 years of high school, a transformational age -- melodrama necessary for this age How libraries can put lesser known YA titles in hangs of teens -- school visits, do this virtually, phone interviews, connecting To introduce new authors -- the booktalk (Jones), but Alessio hates booktalking, prefers virtual-- wii messaging at her lib! Wayshak loves ALA teen reviews, having students involved and a part of the process of selection and recommendation Alessio says genre workshops great places for programming ideas, genre magazines, linked-in and facebook to connect with readers Jones likes "word of mouth" as most effective marketing, Candlewick "markets to the marketers" Does YA input effect publishing? Will vampire books continue to fill catalogs? Jones lets teens read manuscripts before editors Jones is describing interactions with readers on myspace - credits "friends" with integrated ideas from their myspace Is popularity more of a concern than award-winning? The intersection is what Wayshak seeks as an editor, in more literary house Jones said he does not care (anymore) that he will not win awards, his reward is the kid who "doesn't read" who read his book Jones said that the award stickers turn kids off "Johnny Tremain had one of those" Alessio says awards help justify holdings in the event of challenges Role of technology for authors: websites, but links to facebook and myspace for interactivity, but Haddix resists, just got page Differences in author web presence -- Haddix has no email link. other have online "empires," a personal balance, blog as burden Alessio: technology keeps series going, with fan fic and viral ways of interacting -- teens writing to return Breaking Dawn, ex. Jones: urban lit may have positive message, but language is not positive -- but we must get over it Jones: "We must get over" the language issue, "there is not a kid in your house (or school) that does not drop the f-bomb" Wayshak might not publish Outsiders today, because it "seems to straddle two worlds" with "quaint" language |